Preparing for DME

Ok. I’m getting ready to do an American Light for my wife. I picked up a dry malt extract, DME, kit.
Now, I’ve read a few articles, forums, etc about how to mix the DME into the water. My recipe calls to add a few lbs of the dry extract and dry rice syrup. As you know this stuff is very fine.
What’s your preferred method for incorporating the DME into boiling water? Or can I mix it separately in a bucket before mixing it into the boil?

I’ve taken to mixing it in some cold water then into the boil.

There is no great way. I find LME you add slowly, burner off, stirring so you are sure it’s not sitting as sticky lump on the bottom. DME I add fast, pure dump, so that the steam coming off the pot doesn’t make Spaetzle dumplings on/in the bag. If you can keep the mass away from the sides of the pot it just slowly dissolves. Since that is impossible, you just need to be patient and stir, breaking up the lumps as you see them. It will all melt into sweet wort. I have just walked away from the pot for a while after dumping and it was all taken care of for me.

Exactly why I mix it in cold water away from the pot

Perhaps like I do DME for a starter… Boil the water… Turn it off and add the DME and stir occasionally… You don’t need to be so “in between the lines, exactly”… Brewing deserves attention… not needing to be anal though… leave that for the big guys! Sneezles61

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Haha me become sometimes anal brew wise. I do the same thing boil some water turn it of add the dme. Stir. Once lumbs are gone. Quik heat again and ready to go. Lme wise. I would add 1/2at beginning of boil. And the other 1/2half. About 20 min before end of boil. To avoid Mailard effect

It’s a sticky mess no matter how you do it. For a light color beer like that that consider only boiling it for the last 15 min. The longer the boil, the darker it may get. You can still boil the hops for the 60 or whatever. I have actually dumped the extract in at almost the end of the boil time, brought it back up to a boil, added finishing hops and quit. Worked fine.

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Not a sticky mess if you dissolve it first. One of the old timers taught me that. I just add it at the end of the boil. When I make starters I pour a little DME in a Mason jar then boil water in my electric tea kettle and pour on top then cover and shake, you could do that if your worried about using cold water into your boil. Trying to pour DME over a hot pot just never easy. I almost gave up using it

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Of all the things I have to do at work… adding DME to a hot pot is like a vacation. :stuck_out_tongue:

Best one yet. Wanted to save some for summer. Not gonna happen. 90% weyerman Pilsner malt

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Sorry was supposed to go in the Pilsner post

No problem here. She looks great :+1:

You got a “dabble” thumbs up from me! :grin: Sneezles61

I tried a NEW way (for me) of adding DME.
I did some steeping grains. When they were done and removed I added my DME… a fast dump of 5 pounds and added my first wort hops at this time as well. I have to say it was very easy to dissolve with absolutely no clumps and no dumplings stuck on the bag. So the 150F-156F degree water was MUCH easier to deal with than the boiling water. I will wait and add my remaining LME in the last 20 minutes